Title: Nityananda and Gadadhara

User: Swami Gaurangapada Date: 2007-03-11 19:50:00

 

 

Q. by Chandrika: Does Lord Nityananda have any pasttimes with Lord Gadadhara, did they all meet together with Lord Gauranga in Navadwip or in Jagannath Puri at some times?

 

 

Answer by Swami Gaurangapada:

 

There is a beautiful pastime in Shri Chaitanya Bhagavata 3.7.112-166 between Shri Gadadhara, Lord Nityananda and Lord Gauranga which I remember everytime I think of Lord Tota Gopinatha. One get pure love of Lord Krishna simply by hearing or reading this pastime. So here is goes:

 

Text 112

After thus gazing at Lord Jagannatha, Lord Nityananda and His associates joyfully went to see Gadadhara.

Text 113

Who has the power to describe the love that Lord Nityananda and Gadadhara felt in Their hearts?

Text 114

At Gadadhara's home was a very enchanting Deity of Lord Gopinatha. That Deity was Lord Krishna Himself. He was Nanda's own son.

Text 115

Lord Gauranga personally embraced that Deity. Seeing that Deity, the blasphemers thought it only a statue.

Text 116

Seeing this Deity, a threefold-bending Deity holding a flute to His mouth, Lord Nityananda shed tears of joy, tears that had no end.

Text 117

Learning that Lord Nityananda had come, Gadadhara stopped reading Srimad-Bhagavatam and went to Him at once.

Text 118

They gazed at each other's face. Grasping each other's necks, They wept.

Text 119

They offered obeisances to each other. They glorified each other.

Text 120

They both said, "Now My eyes are purified." They both said, "Noe My life has become successful."

Text 121

External consciousness was no longer present in the bodies of the two Lords. The two Lord floated in an ocean of bliss and love."

Text 122

Seeing this display of great love and devotion, the devotees in the four directions fell to the ground and wept.

 

Text 123

How wonderful was the love Nityananda and Gadadhara felt! They did not say anything but words of love and devotion.

Text 124

Gadadhara had no desire to see the face of anyone who criticized Lord Nityananda.

Text 125

Gadadhara Pandita would not look at the face of anyone who did not love Lord Nityananda.

Text 126

After some time becoming peaceful again, the two Lords sat down together and talked about the auspicious glories of Lord Gauranga.

Text 127

Then Gadadhara said to Lord Nityananda. "Today please accept Your meal here."

Text 128

Lord Nityananda had come there to accept a meal from Gadadhara.

Text 129

From West Bengal He had brought fine white rice suitable for Lord Gopinatha.

Text 130

He also brought two beautiful red cloths. He placed all these before Gadadhara.

Text 131

Lord Nityananda said, "Gadadhara, cook this rice and offer it to Lord Gopinatha. He will enjoy it."

Text 132

Seeing the rice, Gadadhara Pandita smiled and said, "With my eyes I have never seen rice like this.

Text 133

"Master, did You bring this rice from Vaikuntha to give it to Lord Gopinatha?

Text 134

"Goddess Lakshmi alone should cook this rice. Then Lord Krishna will enjoy it, and after Him, the devotees will also enjoy it."

Text 135

After happily praising the rice, Gadadhara offered the two cloths to Lord Gopinatha.

Text 136

He placed the splendid red cloths on Lord Gopinatha's graceful limbs. Gazing at the Lord's handsomeness, he floated in bliss.

Text 137

Then he went to cook. First he gathered some saka.

Text 138

Although originally no saka was there, by divine arrangement saka appeared. He gathered the saka and began to cook.

Text 139

He gathered some soft leaves from a tamarind tree and placed them in a pot of salted water.

Text 140

Then he prepared the bitter vegetable named "amla". In this way fortunate Gadadhara cooked.

Text 141

Finally he placed the prepared foods before Lord Gopinatha. At that moment Lord Gauranga arrived.

Text 142

With His graceful mouth joyfully chanting, "Hare! Krishna! Krishna!", Lord Gauranga arrived.

Text 143

"Gadadhara! Gadadhara!", Lord Gauranga called out. At once Gadadhara offered obeisances to the Lord's feet.

Text 144

Smiling, Lord Gauranga said, "Gadadhara, why did I not get an invitation from you?

Text 145

"You and I are not quarreling. Even those I did not get an invitation, I have come anyway.

Text 146

"Nityananda brought the ingredients, you cooked, Lord Gopinatha gave His mercy, and I will accept My share of the remnants."

Text 147

Hearing Lord Gauranga's merciful words, Nityananda and Gadadhara became plunged in an ocean of bliss.

Text 148

Gadadhara happily brought the prasadam and placed it before Lord Gauranga.

Text 149

The prasadam was very fragrant. Again and again Lord Gauranga devotedly bowed down before it.

Text 150

Lord Gauranga said, "Divide it into three equal parts. Then We will sit down together and honor the prasadam."

Text 151

Sitting down, Lord Gauranga greatly enjoyed the rice Lord Nityananda had brought.

Text 152

Sitting together, the two Lords ate. Lord Gauranga happily praised the rice and the vegetables.

Text 153

Lord Gauranga said, "This food is very fragrant. It must be devotion to Lord Krishna personified. It cannot be any other way.

Text 154

"Gadadhara! How beautiful is your cooking! I have never tasted saka like this.

Text 155

"Gadadhara! How wonderful is your cooking, your vegetable of tamarind leaves!

Text 156

"I think you must have cooked this in Vaikuntha. How can you hide that truth from Me?"

Text 157

Joking and laughing in this way, the three Lords tasted the nectar of ecstati love as They ate.

Text 158

The devotees who love these three Lords know Their true identities. But Lord Gauranga did not quickly tell anyone who the three Lords were.

Text 159

After some time the three Lords stopped eating and left. Then the devotees took the remnants the Lords had left on Their plates.

Text 160

Anyone who hears or reads of this blissful meal will attain pure devotion to Lord Krishna. He will go to Lord Krishna.

Text 161

Anyone on whom Gadadhara has placed His merciful glance will have the power to understand the true nature of Lord Nityananda.

Text 162

Anyone who in his heart loves Lord Nityananda will know the truth about Gadadhara.

Text 163

In this way Lord Nityananda happily enjoyed pastimes with Lord Gauranga in Jagannatha Puri.

Text 164

The three Lords Sri Krishna Chaitanya, Nityananda, and Gadadhara always stayed together.

Text 165

Together these three gazed on Lord Jagannatha. Wild with bliss, They performed sankirtana together.

Text 166

The two moons Sri Krishna Chaitanya and Sri Nityananda are my life and soul. I, Vrindavana dasa, sing the glories of Their feet.